Alcohol education Creating a model

The development of model statutes on legal issues of farreaching import is a widelyused tactic in the legislative world. Dartmouth is applying that philosophy to the field of alcohol education in mid-May, bringing nationally-prominent college alcohol researchers together to create a model college alcohol policy.

Also invited to the conference were representatives from the Ivies as well as other campuses, plus a number of Dartmouth administrators. Dick's House and Project Cork are jointly sponsoring the event.

According to David Sloane, the conference organizer, the hope was to "develop the framework for a program that would be applicable to any college or university in the country." He noted that "there is a more comprehensive program at Dartmouth than at virtually any other place." The College utilizes student peer counselors, free professional counseling for any student, and regular outreach programs on alcohol issues. Sloane said the alcohol education programs of most colleges and universities are fairly broad-based, focusing on efforts to get problem drinkers to recognize themselves. The conference planned to explore more activist tactics, through workshops on "the kinds of psychological and medical intervention necessary with some problem drinkers," said Sloane.

Dartmouth's interest in the effort, he concluded, is to make even more comprehensive "the already very good alcohol education program of the College."